Sickness Blues
by JoannaBananaus
Summary: With Lucy fallen ill, Natsu becomes depressed without his bubbly blonde partner. So, he ventures forth to Lucy's apartment and cares for the sickly celestial mage. NaLu One-shot.


Sickness Blues

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. Just a little warning, Natsu is slightly OOC. Slightly... Possibly Lucy too. Hah...

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Yesterday, the Guild was a bubbly place to be. Full of laughter, smiles and fighting, Fairy Tail was such a happy place. Like usual, mostly everyone was brawling with one another about who knows what, but it was all in good nature.

But today, the Guild was unusually silent. Lucy was ill, and that left Natsu in despair. He didn't feel like his usual self, that loved to pick fights with Gray and Gajeel. He didn't feel like taking on jobs, since his partner was ill, and he felt bad if he would enjoy himself while his blonde partner was stuck in bed, coughing up her guts.

Earlier on today, he had tried to go round to the celestial mage's apartment, but she had shoved him out, claiming that he would surely catch her illness if he stayed a second longer. Typical Lucy. Always thinking about her friends first.

Didn't she see that Natsu wanted to care for her? Coax her back into good health?

So in the evening when the sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows and dusting everything in hues of pinks and oranges, he set off to Lucy's house. Happy was still at the Guild with Carla, Natsu presumed. As he thought about his blue friend, a twinge of guilt squeezed his heart. He had told no one that he was leaving, but he figured Levy saw him leaving. As he pictured the small bluenette in his mind, a hand held up to her mouth as she stared knowingly, he shook his head, grumbling to himself. Lucy had been reading too many stories to him…

His white scarf, a precious item given to him by his father Igneel, which he had still yet to find, that was draped around his neck fluttered in the slight breeze. How long had it been since Igneel disappeared now? Igneel had disappeared on the 7th of July, the seventh month of the year, in the year X777. Now, it was near the end of June, X791. So, in a month's time, it would be the fourteenth anniversary.

Huh… So fourteen years next month, was how long his old man had been missing for. Kicking a loose pebble as he made his way to Lucy's house, he thought about how he had changed since he was a young boy. He was taller, older, stronger and most importantly, he was surrounded by his friends and second family that he loved. He adored his friends, especially Lucy. Especially that she cooked him delicious foods and sometimes set them alight, and even served raw fish for Happy when they were over. But that wasn't the only reason he loved Lucy. He loved her because Lucy was well, Lucy.

Lucy always managed to cheer him up when he was feeling low. Lucy was always kind to them, and cared for them. Even though she said she didn't want Natsu sleeping in her bed with her, every time he actually did, Lucy would just hold him tight until the morning. Lucy was Lucy, and Natsu loved her.

Lucy, in a way, was his sun. The sun that never stopped smiling, and brought happiness wherever she went. Natsu couldn't imagine a day without her, as she was just that dear to him. How would he cope, if Lucy just suddenly died…?

Shaking the bad thoughts from his mind, he pushed open the door of the reception and lounge to Lucy's apartment block, nodding at the elderly land lady who was lounging in an armchair, slowly flipping through the pages of a brightly coloured magazine, most likely aimed at teenagers.

The land lady regarded him with a slow wave of her neatly manicured hands, her eyes hidden behind her glasses that never wandered far from the pages. He jogged up the stairs, taking two at a time and then walked down the little strip of floor branching off into many apartments. Lucy's door was at the end of the hallway, and was strangely ajar, only a few inches from being fully closed, with a strip of light seeping into her dark apartment.

His blood ran cold when he spotted the partially opened door. That was Lucy's door. She _always _had her door closed, always. Something to do about 'privacy' or something, but it was always closed. Fearing the worst, like a burglary, he carefully pushed open the door, his hand instinctively reaching to the wall to flick on the light lacrima. Once the Natsu had flicked it, a burst of light emitted from the lacrima crystals, brightening up her whole room.

Blinking a few times to readjust his vision, he quickly glanced around the living space, noting how everything looked the same as it did when he was there a few days ago. A few tissues loitered the floor, mostly the carpet and a tub of empty ice-cream sat on the little kitchenette counter. Nothing looked out of place - nothing stolen, no blood. But what did happen to be quite strange, was the lump of pink quilt - Lucy's quilt, bunched up and on the floor with a pair of feet sticking out at the ends.

Natsu crouched down and peeled back the warm quilt, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he finally saw the face of Lucy. She appeared to be sleeping, her golden hair strewn about her head and the slow rise and fall of her chest told Natsu so. She was wearing plain pyjamas - purple cotton shorts and a white tank top, appropriate as summer was nearing. Placing his hand atop of the sleeping beauty's forehead, he whistled as he retracted his hand. She had a fever, and a pretty big one. Gently reaching an arm behind her back, he pulled her towards his chest as his other hand snaked under her legs. He slowly rose, trying oh so hard not to wake the poor girl. But his attempts were futile, for when he gently and carefully placed her down on her bed, she stirred. Slowly, her eyes flickered open and Lucy was met with the worried face of her partner.

"Natsu…" Her voice sounded croaky, sounding as if she had nothing to drink for awhile. In response, Natsu let his thumb trace her cheek, swiping her golden locks out her face as she tiredly blinked up at the salmon haired man. "Can you… get me some… water, please?"

Less than a minute later, a cold cup of water appeared beside Lucy's head. Leaning on one elbow, she gently grabbed the cup, downing the cold liquid in a matter of seconds. Natsu wiped a few streams of water that dribbled down her chin with the edge of his scarf, the soft fabric sliding against her warm skin. Taking the cup from her warm fingers, Natsu set it in the kitchen and made his way back to Lucy's bed, where he just sat down and looked at her.

"What?" Lucy croaked.

"You look horrible, Luce."

"Gee, thanks."

"Is there anything I can do to make you better?"

"Not really. You just being here is good enough."

Her cheeks were tinged red, but was that because of the fever or because she was blushing? She was focused on something else, presumably the setting sun in the distance but she didn't look at Natsu when she made that comment. She didn't see his smile, or him blushing. But what she did feel was him rising from her bed, her bed squeaking in protest.

"How are you feeling, Luce?"

"Hot and cold at the same time, if that makes sense. I just feel… awful, Natsu."

"Is there anything I can do?"

Lucy furrowed her brows together for a few seconds, but then answered. "Yes… If you could, could you run into my bathroom and just let the cold tap run in the bath? Could you just turn the hot tap just a little bit too, please?"

Without questioning her, Natsu did what she asked. He entered her bathroom, headed over towards her bath and turned the taps, watching the jets of water burst forth from the taps, lapping gently at the edges of the bathtub. As he retracted his hand, he heard Lucy yell, "That's it Natsu, I can do the rest from here."

But he continued to sit on the edge of the tub, steadily watched the cool water rise. A few moments later, a hand was firmly pressed onto his shoulder, startling him slightly. Rightly knowing who that clammy hand belonged to, he slowly rose. Patting her messy hair, he mumbled a quick, "Be careful."

Lucy stuck out her tongue in response, her cheeks tinted a dark red. Natsu only worried that her fever was getting worse.

After being forcedly shoved out of the bathroom by a red faced Lucy, Natsu reluctantly decided to quickly clean his partner's apartment, by starting with the few tissues loitering the carpeted floor. Though he didn't particularly like 'cleaning', he believed that he must do it, all just to help his sick Lucy. Even if wasn't much, he would do it so the salmon haired man also finished a few other jobs such as, cleaning the dirty dishes in the sink or tidying Lucy's bed, or putting a few things in the bin. And roughly fifteen to twenty minutes later, he heard Lucy exit the bathroom. He turned round, a happy smile on his face but once he saw his friend, his smile faltered.

She still looked horrible. Her golden hair was damp and matted, her cheeks painted a heavy red, and she looked absolutely drained. Natsu, being the gentleman that is usually hidden underneath his idiotic front, guided the blonde over towards her bed, where she sat down on the edge. Natsu climbed onto the bed after her, sitting crossed legged behind her, grabbing the brush sitting on her bed side table. Lucy wasn't paying much attention - her eyelids were beginning to droop. As she was zoning in and out, she felt a little gentle tug on her hair and she rotated her head to stare questioningly at Natsu.

"Your hair is going to be horrible in the morning. Let me brush it, and dry it. Then you can go to sleep."

"Do you know how to brush a girl's hair, Natsu?"

"Of course!" Natsu responded, but quickly asked, "Like this?"

"You're doing a good job. Remember, don't do it too roughly." Lucy advised, "Girls don't want their hair tugged off."

Natsu nodded, his mouth set in a firm line. His eyebrows were scrunched together in concentration, as his calloused fingers on his left hand ran through her damp hair, slightly drying it as he did so because of his abnormally warm body heat. His other hand quickly followed the trail with the brush, and with such careful movements he brushed his partner's hair. It was possibly ten minutes later, that Natsu had decided that the hair brushing ritual had been fulfilled, so he set the hairbrush down on the bed side cabinet.

"Done." Natsu grinned, climbing his way out from behind his friend to sit beside her. Once his feet reached the carpet, and how he hadn't heard anything from the blonde during the time that it took him to move, he faced her.

"Luce?" Natsu asked gently, prodding her warm cheek with his forefinger. Lucy's eyes snapped open, and she glared at the man beside her.

"What?" She grumbled.

"I finished brushing your hair." Once as he said that, Lucy reached up to inspect the damage that she had thought Natsu had caused. But she let out a little surprised gasp when she felt that her hair was mostly dry, and that it was intact.

"Good job, Natsu." Lucy smiled, oblivious to what her appraisal had done to the salmon haired man. "You better go - I don't want you getting sick."

Natsu scoffed. "I won't get sick! I'm a Dragon Slayer. Us slayers don't get sick easily, and I'm practically immune. Because of my abnormal body temperature, I don't get sick."

"Uh huh," Lucy yawned, bringing a hand to up to her mouth, "whatever you say."

Natsu heaved himself up from Lucy's bed, and stretched. Lucy immediately crawled under the covers, tucking the pink quilt around herself as she settled. She shivered and Natsu looked down at her, concern portrayed in his eyes. "You okay?" He asked, gently swiping a strand of hair from her forehead.

She nodded in response and only then when Natsu's fingers lingered on her forehead, did he realise how cold she felt. It must have been the bath, Natsu thought. Sure, it cooled her down but she was freezing. Lucy bristled at the contact, and quickly grasped Natsu's hand in both of hers, before bringing it towards her cheek. She let his hand rest against her cold cheek, and Lucy blissfully sighed at the contact while Natsu blushed. With a devilish glint in her eyes, she grabbed onto his arm and yanked him on top of her, and in a flurry of events, somehow managed to get him on her side nearest the window. She snuggled into him, her own hot water bottle, and rested her weary head against his broad shoulder. Natsu, who had blushed the entire time, stiffened when he felt Lucy's head upon his shoulder. Was this the fever causing her to act strangely? The Lucy he knew wouldn't be so brash and do something like this, although… Natsu couldn't complain.

"I could get used to this." Natsu had thought while Lucy uttered the words under her breath. The Dragon Slayer looked at his partner with wide eyes, not expecting her to say that. At all. Sure, Natsu had thought it and sometimes he wished life was like this. He wished that Lucy felt the same way about him, and that he could waken in the mornings just lying in bed with the girl he loved. But firstly, if Lucy liked this, did that mean she sort of liked Natsu?

"Luce…"

"Hm?"

"Is this you or the fever talking?" By now Natsu had rolled over onto his side, and he stared at the girl beside him, noting the small smile that crept onto her face. "I really need to know."

Lucy opened her mouth as if to speak, but quickly shut it. She repeated this act a few times, much like how a goldfish would open and close its gob. Natsu inched his face closer, but Lucy stayed emotionless.

She mumbled under her breath very quietly, and even with his heightened hearing he still could not make sense of what she had said. "What was that?" He asked, resting his forehead against the blonde's.

A heavy blush was painted across Lucy's cheeks and she averted her eyes, but she did not move. "Don't laugh at me." Lucy muttered, and Natsu nodded in response. She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. "Okay… So what I'm about to say is the only time this will be said this evening, so please pay attention. And if you don't like what I'm saying, it's the fever talking and we can continue to live as best friends. I wish to say this now, because I've held it in for a long time. I like you, Natsu Dragneel. In fact, I love you. I love how you fight, your courage, your hair, your trademark toothy grin, your scent, your eyes, the way that you love Fairy Tail, and the way you would never give up your friends or our guild. There's so many more that I can list but if I did Natsu, it would take me a day. You're important to me, and you've opened my eyes, Natsu. I don't know how I am able to tell you all this. I've been bottling it up for awhile now, and… and…"

Natsu wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her closer to his chest. He grinned into her hair, his trademark toothy grin as Lucy put it, and breathed in the scent that was his Lucy. "What?" She squeaked, her voice muffled.

"You don't know how long I've waited to here you say that, Luce."

"Erm, huh?"

"I love you too, Lucy."

Lucy blinked slowly, her eyelids drooping dangerously low. Her little confession had drained her of the little energy she had left, but she didn't want to go to sleep, not now at a time like this.

"Natsu…" She yawned and she was dangerously close to falling asleep in her Dragon Slayers arms. "I'm tired."

Natsu grinned, and rolled over so he was laying on his back. Immediately, Lucy rest her head against his shoulder. Natsu angled his head so that his head rested upon hers, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep in that position so in awhile, he knew that his head would have to shift.

"Go to sleep, Luce. I'll be right here, waiting for you when you wake up. Afterall, I'm your dragon, aren't I?"

"You idiot…"

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A/N: Hello there.

So, I hoped you enjoyed my little one-shot although, Lucy and Natsu were a little 'off'. But oh well. I had fun writing it, so I hoped you enjoyed. I apologise for the grammatical errors present, and I will fix them. Someday... And, I'm also sorry for how I finished things.

Oh well. That's all I had to say, so thank you for reading this! It means alot.

Goodbye, and until next time.


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